Potter’s new facility under construction

By Daniel Cobb

August 29, 2014

Drumroll, please! Potter is set to get a new percussion building along with other amenities in the near future.
Students walking by Potter have no doubt seen the doublewide trailer parked just outside of its walls, along with various percussion students making use of its limited space. However, with a new percussion facility currently under construction, Dr. Dennis Rogers, the director of percussion studies, is excited for his students to be able to have more space.
“There’s always been an understanding for the need of it,” Rogers said of the new facility. “And I think that our administration, and Dr. Vartebedian in particular, are really trying to give the students everything they must have and need.”
Upon removing the doublewide trailer, percussion students will be able to move into the new facility partway through the semester, assuming construction isn’t halted.
But that’s not the only thing being done to Potter. Dr. Robert Willenbrink explained that students can look forward to a few more upgrades to Potter in the future.
“The restrooms that are currently there are inadequate for the number of people that can use them at any given time,” Willenbrink said. “So we’re adding restrooms.”
Willenbrink explained that the new restrooms will be of very high quality, and that the two restrooms that are currently there are going to be converted into office space.
“What’s under construction is phase one of a proposed renovation,” Willenbrink said.
The second phase is to add a second floor and a performance hall to the space.
“A lot of that’s going to be based on the Centennial Capital Campaign which will be launched to raise funds to do that,” Willenbrink said.
Willenbrink is also excited for another addition coming to Potter that will help with the flow of traffic in and out of the building for various events.
“The last thing that they’re going to do is put a circle drive in front of Potter Hall, so that’s going to be a really welcome addition.”
But before everything is complete, Rogers will work to move his students into the new percussion facility once it’s completed.
Job Dick, a percussion student of nearly five years, is especially excited for phase one of the proposed renovation as well as the move from the doublewide trailer to a full facility.
“We’re very appreciative of the new building,” Dick said of the percussion students. “And we’re glad it’s not a triple wide trailer.”